Liath
Goddess of Independence, Irony, Orphans and Second Chances "I recant nothing. I am but a servant of higher things, and those who walk my paths are equals in bringing a greater hope to the world. I am no god, and I will not be worshiped, but I will be followed." - Liath, shortly after her ascension Basic Statistics Title: The Unexpected, The Orphan Saint Domains: Chaos, Community, Good, Liberation Subdomains: Freedom, Home Home: Elysium Worshipers: Liberators, Orphans, Redeemed Evil-Doers, Good Members of Evil Races, Transmuters Liath's Alignment: "Above Morality" - Liath is only nominally associated with Chaotic Good, personally, her methods no longer bound by such limited terms. Cleric Alignments: CG, NG, CN Favored Weapon: Natural Weapons, Quarterstaff Centers of Worship: Drezen, Absolam, Kenabres, Wati Nationality: Mendev Symbol: A single manacle with a broken chain attached. Sacred Animal: Rabbit (though considered sacred, Liath actively promotes the eating of rabbit meat.) Sacred Colors: Beige, Gray Description The so-called Unexpected was once a mortal woman, a tiefling transmuter named Samantha Liath. One of the "Heroes of Drezen," she rose in prominence during the Fifth Mendevian Crusade of 4713, aiding in the deaths of countless foes of the Crusades, including the Demon Lords Baphomet and Deskari, along with the closing of the Worldwound and return of the last of the Azlanti, Aroden. Along with Paul, a paladin of Sarenrae, Acoran, the child of Sarenrae, Iardi Harnast, Inquisitor and briefly Herald of Iomedae, the reformed succubus and worshiper of Desna Arushalae and Sargona, scion and planetar in service to Iomedae, she struck a blow to the demonic hordes of the Abyss that would be felt for centuries to come, ending abruptly the Age of Lost Omens and beginning the Age of New Heroes. Liath, who took on her mother's family name as a divine epithet upon her rise to power, is one of the Ascended, having passed the Test of the Starstone in 4715. The circumstances of her ascension were the subject of considerable speculation. In the last months of the Crusade, Liath aided in the defense of Drezen in a day known henceforth as the Night of a Thousand Rabbits, when during the defeat of Zuhra Aponavicius, she caused a nearly uncountable number of Babau and other lesser demons comprising the bulk of the army to be transformed permanently into small woodland creatures. The event solidified growing beliefs that Liath was a saint and icon of the faith of her patron goddess, Milani. When she returned to the castle Drezen after the successful defeat of Deskari and parted ways with her companions, she found an ever increasing cult of personality forming around not only her person but all of the defenders of Drezen. Horrified, she loudly proclaimed that she was no god and removed herself into seclusion, spending much of her time purifying Deskari's blade, Riftcarver as a lasting testimony to his defeat. By the time of the one year celebration of the Crusade's end in early 4715, however, these cults of personality continued to rise, and Liath found herself empowered through her experiences with enough divine energy that she was able to grant divine power to followers. Reluctantly, she began to do so, always as a servant of Milani and in the name of her worship. However, with every passing months, more shrines specific to her cropped up, particularly in the city of Drezen. Enraged at what she saw as a potentially disastrous and blasphemous practice among people who saw the heroes of Drezen as saviors from a century-long horror in the Worldwound, Samantha traveled to Absolam. There, she uttered a loud proclamation before the chasm leading to the Temple of the Starstone, "I come to prove a point to you. Whatever good we did in Mendev, we were mere pawns of fate, chosen by accident and desperation. We are not gods. We do not deserve to be worshiped for doing what any would do in our stead. You no longer need us. With my death, I will show you this truth." She rose upon her vestigial wings and flew then into the temple by her magic, promptly passing the test of the Starstone. All of the heavens were shocked, but none so much as her. Called the Unexpected, the Reluctant Goddess, the Orphan Saint and several more unpleasant epithets among those mortals whose fortunes were damaged by her meteoric rise to power, Liath is a lesser goddess who focuses her attention largely upon promoting and aiding her former patron Milani, protecting families and orphans and by the decree of her fellow gods, the occurrence of Irony and second chances. She is resolute in refusing to allow even other gods to refer to herself as a goddess and takes grave offense, almost as if she refuses to believe that she has ascended even though she can no longer safely return to the Mortal Plane. Liath is a gruff, crude, blunt and direct goddess, one who takes the tasks that she claimed upon her ascension with great seriousness, but who puts little stock into the details of how her goals are being promoted. That these goals generally continue her former alignment merely shows how strongly she held to her original convictions even when she began to see past her limited vision. Her main goal is to watch over those who she considers helpless or those who wish to redeem themselves, seeking to offer a light of hope into a world that is often gloomy and dark, though it is a light almost never seen from any sunny disposition on her part. She is bitter over her ascension, not because of the task that is before her, but because she prefers to simply work alone in accomplishing good. To have an entire faith dependent upon her feels somehow wrong to her mind, and like a mad bid for power. Liath respects those who care for the helpless, but more than this she respects independence. One who cares for a child is a wonderful thing, but one who teaches a child to care for themselves while protecting them is a far greater thing. She is the mistress of second chances, but her second chances are always things that come with a significant price. Salvation and redemption are things earned in toil and labor, and to desire them means that a life of service is its own reward. Though she is stalwart in her belief that all have a chance to be redeemed, she growls and snarls at those who come to her seeking it, testing and trying their resolve with eyes filled to the brim by suspicion. The faith of Liath is less than a year old in 4716, and the subject of considerable debate among scholars. Liath has displayed grave reluctance to take on worshipers, and yet has granted her blessings to those persistent enough to seek her out. She cannot escape this cult's rise, not with her having ascended through such a public spectacle. However, little about her cult reflects the pomp found in even some of the most humble of Avistan's deities, and she is known for her strident and bald opinions, even when they are not requested. As with any of the Ascended, her cult is beginning a swift rise in prominence, both in her nation of birth Mendev and in Absolam, but her severe and gruff attitude and her very focused portfolio makes some scholars suspect that she may not ever become a major entity. Most worshipers of Liath are protectors of the helpless, orphans and those who seek a second chance for their past failings. Care workers, humanitarians all find reason to favor her, as do freedom fighters and liberators of slaves such as are common in the lands of Andoran. What is unusual about her faith, though, is that Liath aggressively preaches a tenet of polytheism. While most people acknowledge and venerate other gods, Liath demands that her worshipers do so. If they must name her as their primary, they may, but she will not be worshiped solely, even by her clergy. Common gods favored by her worshipers are Desna, Iomedae, Milani and Sarenrae, all gods tied to her time in the crusade. Liath appears as she did in life, either veiled by invisibility magics and undetectable by any, a disembodied voice whispering on the wind with the faint whiff of sulfur, or as a young tiefling transmuter. She wears a patchwork cloak over her shoulders, tan and gray colored robes with slits cut in the back for her small black wings. A spaded, black tail and short horns on her forehead all speak to her infernal heritage, a thing she does not bother to conceal when visible, though a silver halo floats always between her horns over her head. She carries a slender darkwood staff whose tip blossoms into a beautiful red rose in bloom, a silver butterfly at its tip and wears a pair of broken shackles on her wrists. Liath's holy symbol is a manacle with broken links. Though icons have been in production since her rise, most clerics favor wearing an actual manacle of cold iron with a broken link attached. Her clergy are made up of Clerics and Inquisitors along with a smattering of Illusionists and Transmuters, the inquisition focused upon the rescuing of the helpless and enslaved from bondage. There are no paladins in her faith. Liath is known for direct communication with her clergy at this time, often answering prayers directly from her clergy when possible. The Church The Church of Liath has begun to attract a broader following merely upon the coattails of her successful passing of the test of the Starstone. These events, almost always trumpeted by brilliant fanfare and glory, are the centerpiece of the life of those in the Ascendant Court of Absalom, and so the curious have begun to show up within the city to see the newly minted temple of Liath and gaze in wonder at the fifth of the Ascended. This mass of the intrigued and hopeful has led to considerable controversy, due to Liath's own attitudes towards worshipers and her growing cult, as seen in the spectacular destruction of the first temple building about three months after her ascension, scoured in flames that could not be quenched, along with the striking of the location by a series of small meteorites from the sky. Viewed as a clear mark of Liath's disapproval, it set the tone of the religion as one whose deity was not only surly and difficult to deal with, but also one that would not follow the norms of practice of many other sects. When her third temple, the second built in Absalom, was crafted of simple stone and wood with an attached orphanage, it was said the whole building reeked of sulfur for a week, but that all who entered carried a great sensation of peace, showing that Liath was coming to terms with her divinity and that this form of worship pleased her. The church is comprised, largely, of caregivers, adventurers and freedom-fighters, of orphans who have grown up and wish to do great things and of people who fell into villainy early in life but wish to make amends, particularly those of so-called “Evil Races.” Almost any class may be found among their ranks, though it is noteworthy that more than a few Transmuters and Illusionists make their presence known here. While she is not a goddess of magic, she was in life a transmuter of skill that rivaled the Thassilonian Runelords of old, and Transmuters especially look to her as a pinnacle of what is possible. Orcs, Goblins, Tieflings, Shadelings have all found a place within the faith from its earliest days, and a remarkable lack of racism and elitism is found in the ranks of all who accept her faith, marked by the willingness of all artists to depict her in her natural form, as she has been clear that she desires, that of a Tiefling woman in the patchwork robes of a traveler and spellcaster, a silver halo floating above her head and between her horns. The assembly of the faithful of Liath is motley indeed, though all are independent spirits who seek to breed independence in others. They are free with their tongues as Liath was free with hers, though always mindful to be aware of the consequences of anything they say. Irony has a way of following her disciples as much as it did her in life. Strident, bold and loud, the faithful of Liath are proud of their newfound standing and aggressive in the promoting of their mistress' will, not so much through conversion as in deeds intended to bring hope to the world. Services to Liath are a disorganized affair. Because her church's hierarchy is still being established, frequently they end up being sessions in which people will sing patriotic hymns, gather for an afternoon meal, share stories of triumph and loss for the last week and wish each other well for the next. Anyone who observed one of these services from the outside would almost be certain it was just a social gathering of friends, rather than a religious function, one that might come with some level of teaching and learning from one another, but nevertheless not a true religious gathering. As with all things associated with Liath, though, this appears to be intentional on the part of the faithful. Liath does not wish to be viewed as a goddess, and so her worship ought not be something that treats her as one, so far as the Liathani are concerned. Prayer to Liathani is a quiet thing, usually done in the privacy of one's room at sunrise and sunset. Worship is a time to gather for camaraderie and mutual re-assurance of the good fight. Unique among the faiths of Avistan is the aggressiveness with which the Liathani preach the teaching of cooperation and polytheism. While many religions accept the notion of the other gods of Avistan and promote good relationships with those churches, Liath demands that her people participate actively in the faith of at least one other religion. These are commonly chosen from among religions that are socially active and have memberships with alignments closely tied to Liath's original leanings and her faith's teachings, though in extremes even drastically different faiths have seen a Liathani visiting their worship. Tithing is commonly split between the religions, and Liathani are known for their generosity when able. The Liathani espouse teachings that promote humility, independence and the fostering of it in others, protection of the young, old, infirm and helpless, love of family, generosity, hard work, simple pleasures and the firm resolve that second chances are there for anyone willing to put forward the effort. The “teaching” of irony is seen in the caution that undergirds the boldness of the faith. To leap forward into the mouth of hell for the sake of others is wise, but always know what might be the consequences of your actions. They see Liath's unexpected ascension to godhood as proof enough of that, and that the world watches them all, smiling at a joke that they do not yet get. The Liathani expect, as a result, to live interesting lives. There is little overarching structure to the Liathani faith. Priests are called “Servants,” and the “Head Servant” is usually the manager of any local temple or shrine in a location that is landed. They uphold and help manage humanitarian efforts in the area and coordinate their faithful with other local religious organizations. But, beyond this, they do not 'lead' their underlings. The Liathani see themselves as equals, their leaders as the firsts among equals. Respect is afforded, but not demanded, and command is rarely given. Temples and Shrines There are almost no actual temples to Liath. The first attempt to establish one after her ascension in Absalom burned with fires that could not be quenched. Her nascent clergy came to the conclusion that the building was too ostentatious. Since that time, three small temples have been established to date in Drezen, Kenebras and Absalom. All follow the same format, being dominated by a large orphanage. The actual orphanage structure is always of better quality than that of the main temple. They are always built of simple, local stone and wood and of solid, but not ostentatious construction. Worship halls devoted to Liath are small, with cramped and uncomfortable seating, of one floor in height. No decorations of gold, silver or jewels are allowed in their construction, and the altars are only identifiable by the two cold-iron shackles attached to each side. A simple podium is set to the side for the worship leader to gather the faithful. Where the worship of Liath has not yet spread, road-side shrines or basement cult gatherings are not unheard of, the latter hearkening to her worship of Milani. A Priest's Role The Clergy, whether they be Clerics, Inquisitors or Lay workers, are never called Priests in the church of Liath, but rather servants, and they are expected to fulfill this title. If landed in a single parish, they perform the duty of not only overseeing the worship of the faithful, but managing orphanages and humanitarian aid in the area. In truth, most clerics of Liath spend more time serving others than they do actually serving as clergy. When not skilled in these tasks, clerics are frequently sent out to do good works and perform their services on the road. Liathani Servants are known for their generosity in the use of their gifts. When not pressed by dire need, it is an expectation of their god that all but their most advanced healing magics are free for the needs of those less fortunate. Because of this generosity, churches of Liath find that they receive extensive donations in many communities, and rarely find themselves in need of added financing. Servants who serve as adventurers are more common than landed clergy in 4716. They frequently ally themselves with the churches of Desna and Milani when possible and focus their attentions upon aiding the destitute and poor, seeking out dangers that threaten the helpless and spread the good word of Liath wherever they meet. An average day in the life of any cleric involves the waking and prayer with the rising of the sun, reflecting on the hope that they will bring into a new day. After eating, they then set about their task, either in adventuring or in the day's labors. Liath is not known to love lolly-gagging, and a day wasted when one is not emotionally exhausted is a day that could be spent spreading the light of hope into the world. Many clerics eventually learn at least one rank in a marketable skill or profession, though unskilled labor is common among those not as talented in such things. Servants are not permitted to offer loans, and may only buy or sell normally or give in generosity. Adventurers Roughly half of the clergy of Liath are adventurers, full of zeal in spreading her work into the world. Wizards, Clerics, Inquisitors, Rangers and Rogues all commonly find places in her ranks if their goals are the protection of the innocent and helpless. The remainder of her clergy are local caregivers whose skills are already of benefit to the stability of their community. Because of the tenet of cooperation so strict to Liath's teachings, no Liathani clergy ever adventure alone unless there is no opportunity otherwise. To do so would mar the cooperative spirit that Liath seeks to engender in her worshipers (which secretly aids her in knowing that she is not solely responsible for their fates.). Goals of Liathani adventurers tend to be very similar to those of Milani's followers. Where oppression reigns, they seek ways to undermine it. Where the helpless are in danger, they look for ways to aid them. Where unknown threats loom, they investigate, lest those threats endanger the weak. How they go about this, Liath leaves up to them, preferring to be more or less free-spirited in her attitude towards their tactics, so long as the final goal falls in line with her ethics. Clothing Clergy of the Liathani dress simply. There is no ostentation in the religion and most wear no jewelry that does not have a practical value. Many take upon themselves vows of poverty, though not all. Regardless, grays and tans are frequent color motifs in their clothing choices, and most dress in clothes that are meant for travel. All clerics are known to wear a manacle on their dominant wrist as a holy symbol, something that is coming to be seen as a signifier of her religion. Prayers to Liath are often etched into the metal of these shackles. Holy Text The Broken Shackle: Not a true text, but rather a series of pamphlets, six in number, that contain the teachings of Liath to her first disciples. These pamphlets have been collected by allies to the faith and scholars loyal to Liath in the hopes of collecting these sayings into a unified whole. For now, however, these sayings are filled with short aphorisms said to be heard in the first clergy through dreams and the interpretations of those dreams by the faithful. Variations are common, and personal notes are frequent. The original aphorisms of Liath are on crude and bald, bordering on irreverent at times, but clear in their intent. Worshipers asked about the occasionally unusual language of their god all smile and remind those who read the texts that "The Unexpected is not a god, merely a servant as we all are. She chooses not to person she was in life and asks that we do not." Holidays -The Night of a Thousand Hares: Celebrated in Drezen, but increasingly in many other parts of Avistan, this feast-day commemorates the victory of Drezen at the end of the Fifth Mendevian Crusade, where Liath transformed armies of Babau into rabbits. Feasts of rabbit-stew are served and worshipers gather together to feed not only the faithful but those who are in need. Aphorisms "None has fallen so far into darkness that they cannot find the light again": An aphorism attributed to Liath in her mortal career. She insists that it was part of the worship of Sarenrae or Milani, and most scholars agree that it isn't exactly how she would have likely phrased the statement. Regardless, the sentiment is one found throughout the church. Redemption and second chances are the very hallmark of the faith, to a point where other faiths consider Liathani to be naïve. Some believe that Liath would forgive Rovagug if it asked. Liathani Servants simply smile whenever this is said, and most joke that to earn his salvation, Rovagug might need to create a whole new world. The meaning behind that statement and all teachings about Redemption is that, while it is freely offered by the church, no Second Chance is ever free. People seeking redemption within these halls find themselves shackled to a life of service and arduous work, work tailored to push the person towards Liath's world view and ensure that they are not false in their wish for another chance. Frequently, the story of Arushalae is cited by these faithful, that she fought for most of the Fifth Mendevian Crusade and faced her former master Deskari as part of her penance, a penance that continues to this day. All are permitted a second chance if they desire it, but Liath never said it would be easy. "Give the child a blade, but then stand before it with your shield": An odd turn of phrase that was picked up in the first days of the church and is not attributed to Liath herself. The implications are meant to reach towards the two-fold attitude of Liath towards the protection of the helpless. On the one hand, guardianship of those who cannot help themselves is considered a high calling. On the other, to teach them how to fend for themselves is considered a still higher calling, provided that one is not simply throwing the trainee to the wolves. It is one of the few times where personal responsibility seems to make its strongest appearance in Liath's core teachings. If someone is going to take responsibility for the protection of another, then they need to be thorough in this and not stop half-way through. To hand a child a sword and walk away is foolish and dangerous, and to merely protect them forever without uplifting them creates dependence. Neither is acceptable. Liath wants people to be rescued towards independence. "Break the chains that bind the soul first. Metal is too easy to reforge.": A cryptic teaching that demonstrates Liath's attitude on liberation. As much as she hates slavery and preaches against its use, calling upon her faithful to assist the cult of Milani in its struggles against oppressors and the slave trade, Liath takes special issue with mental or spiritual forms of bondage. Mind control, enforced emotional dependency, manipulative business practices that put people into debt to force slavery upon them, or any other form of enslavement that relies upon mental, emotional or magical methods angers her even more than simple slavery. Helping people find independence and breaking out of these situations, giving them hope and the ability to rely upon themselves once again is considered a truly high calling to the Liathani. "I am not a god, and the next of you mother fuckers that calls me that is getting their face ripped off": The shocking aphorism is attributed directly to Liath, shortly before her fateful speech. Since her ascension, any time a person has attempted in prayer to her to refer to her as divine, they have been universally sworn at in the most vulgar of fashions, most have found themselves cursed, and inevitably their prayers have been answered in the negative. Because of the baldness of their god's demands, the church of the Liathani has taken it upon itself to preach as one of its core tenets that they are not a Priesthood and that Liath is not a god, but rather a servant of the heavens and the chief of their allies in the good fight. Despite how shocking the aphorism sounds, most Liathani refuse to change it (or for that matter any of their god's more vulgar turns of phrase), stating quite boldly that, to understand Liath one must accept that her mortal heart still beats with the fire of passion in her beliefs. To cause her words to be lessened in their impact insults her memory. All Liathani are raised with this knowledge, that their god was blunt to the point of being crass and that, even if she was a god, she had no desire to be called one ever. Relations with other Religions Liath is almost infamous, considering her standing as being above the whole notion of the Chaos/Law and Good/Evil paradigm, for having very strident opinions about literally every god in the Avistan pantheons. While she is not bound to the restrictions of simplified alignments, she is decidedly bound to her divine concerns and has a wide collection of attitudes that developed from this, along with copious amounts of her personal opinions, none of which she spares those who are willing to put up with a tongue lashing. Amongst some gods, the epithet “The god that never shuts up” has begun to take shape and form since the initial contact of many gods upon her ascension, and not without reason. Liath does not attempt to convert her fellow gods to her side of things, but when she disagrees, she is bold in her declarations. When still a mortal, she was bold in her stances to Iomedae, even when she was in direct contravention with the goddess over how she felt the crusade should proceed. Now, a god if not a true equal with older and more powerful deities, she feels little reason to limit her opinions. It is a known fact that Liath will work with almost any god, even including some of the evil deities most distrusted and reviled by others such as Norgorber and Zon-Kuthon. Perhaps the only true exceptions to this are Asmodeus, Lamashtu, Rovagug and Urgathoa. While her doors of redemption are always open, she has been heard declaring that the price of any of those four's redemption is steep enough that she doubts they would even consider it. All of them represent, to her, elements of the world that can only bring harm to the people that she shelters and protects. Asmodeus is a hatred she carries due to her association with Milani, but one that she maintains easily enough herself, as his form of tyranny only offers protection in the form of ongoing dependence and servitude. The others, to her, are simply monsters awaiting a swift end. She has been known to include the Demon Lord Pazuzu, father of Deskari, and the Infernal Duke Jiraviddain, Duke of Fissures, in her invectives often enough. The latter, being the promoter of dependency itself, is almost a living embodiment of what she hates. Wherever possible, she commands her faithful to root out the servants of these cults and bring them down. Despite her loud declaration of being willing to work with anyone, one that she makes good on, Liath does not spare those who would seek the aid of her powerful and bolstering magics from her tongue. To seek her backing means that one is subject to her oftentimes judgmental attitude and crude tongue. “You do not have to like me to work with me,” she is known for saying. Only Pharasma and Gozreh seem to engender truly neutral responses from her, and she is always respectful to both. They are, to her, simply a piece of reality, though she rarely seeks them for aid and only comes if they call, which is never likely. What perhaps stands out more than her enemies, most of which surprise very few, is her diffident attitude towards two deities in particular: Nethys and Shelyn. Despite being a wizard and archmage of world-renowned caliber in life, Liath has been revealed to detest Nethys. She does not oppose the lord of Magic, but openly states that his search for power for its own sake is exactly what she despises most in Magical pursuits. It is not an end on its own, and down that path only madness awaits. Magic is meant to be a tool, one refined for an actual purpose. As such, she prefers the attitudes of gods like Sivanah, Isis and Shyka, and even Thoth. She is aware of their philosophies through extensive research and seems to value their respective opinions far more readily. Even more curiously, Liath is one of the only goddesses to truly speak ill of Shelyn, and not for the usual reasons. In her presence, the cutting words are hard to give because of the peace the goddess breeds, but Liath largely immune to her charms beyond this point, and takes serious issue with her portfolio on its own merits. Liath, while she has an opinion on more or less any god or worship, does have some gods that she favors over others. Desna, Iomedae, Milani and Sarenrae are perhaps her closest allies due to her associations with the old Mendevian Crusade and her general valuing of their perspectives. Iomedae is one that she is known to argue with quite vehemently over approaches, tactics and the woman's rigidity on subjects like honor and valor, but despite this she is always there should the Inheritor call. Milani, in particular, is a goddess that she feels a special kinship to, both being recently ascended even if through different means, and Liath having worshiped Milani all her life. Sarenrae is a goddess who she idolizes to an extent, particularly for her teachings of redemption, and because of that idolization, she pointedly (and sometimes loudly) refuses to speak to Sarenrae about the actions of her cults on earth in the field of slavery. Beyond these, Liath has something of a curious relationship with the other Ascended. She gets along with Cayden Caliean fairly well, though the two share few pursuits other than their love of freedom. Aroden, because of her involvement in his return to the world, has a positive relationship with her although their attitudes and interests are often unrelated. Norgorber, despite her loathing of his tactics and the harm he brings, is someone she will treat with, at arm's length. Beyond these, Erastil is the only other god that Liath has been known to seek out actively for guidance from. Old Dead-eye is still unsure what to make of the crude, blunt little mage who speaks to him, but despite her baldness in arguing right back with him when they disagree, it is clear to all that she respects him and his purposes. The two are both protectors of the family and lovers of a hard day's labor, so while he considers her a naïve little girl, it amuses him that someone tolerates his rants and flings them right back. The two remaining oddities of her perspective are in the Demon Lord Nocticula and Zon-Kuthon. Liath feels that she owes Nocticula a debt for the Lady of Succubi's aid in bringing down Baphomet. She carries a deep-seated hatred of succubi and incubi from her father's actions, and has mixed feelings regarding the woman who helped her find and finally end that villainous creature. She retains contact with the Demon Lord in private, but always at a distance. Increasingly aware that Nocticula has designs on divinity herself, Liath has begun trying to steer her towards an at least more neutral path, though the success of this is debatable at best. Zon-Kuthon, as well, is a genuinely evil god that Liath has attempted to contact, albeit through proxy and extensive distance with numerous wards in place. She does not share Liath's loathing of the Midnight Lord. She is strident in her hatred of his church and its practices to accomplish his goal, and warns her faithful to oppose them when they cause trouble and avoid them otherwise, but Zon-Kuthon himself she does not hold the same hatred towards. Some suspect that she bears a certain amount of latent masochism, and so finds the god fascinating, even if she is known to make several derisive comments about his fetishistic love of leather. The Liathani are almost as opinionated as Liath herself, though they tend to reflect more the expected opinions of alignment. Any god whose worshipers could have a cult partially in line with Liath's teachings and who would not seek to ruin all the good that she does is one that they are willing to work with, and one that they will worship in accordance with her polytheistic teachings quite easily. Chief among the choices of her faithful are Cayden Caliean, Desna, Erastil, Iomedae, Milani and Sarenrae. A few of Liath's followers with less of an actively “Good” leaning have been known to traffic with the occasional demon lord, though Rovagug and Lamashtu are universally avoided, and those who do flirt in this fashion do so with exceeding care. When questioned, they remind those who do that none are beyond redemption, and that Nocticula aided the Fifth Crusade's cause. Some may yet, they say, be saved. They are respectful of most faiths, though critical of elements that interfere with their work. Realm The youngest of the deities, Liath has established her home on the fields of Elysium. The azata are welcoming of her presence and, though her surly disposition occasionally grates, her realm is considered an inoffensive presence. It takes the form of a small hub village, attaching itself closely to the realm of Cayden Caliean and built around one of the many planar gateways to Erastil's realm. Petitioners have been known to stumble away from drunken revelry and the heady flow of glorious deeds into the small village space only to find a quiet spot of contentment where they may rest the night and return to their games later. The town's population is heavily comprised of the very young, though there are no orphanages within its walls. Here, in this village, there are no orphans, no lost or desperate, none who are laboring under the weight of years or infirmity. Instead, it is a place where people may toil a hard days work, enjoy the simple things in life and none feel the need to rule over others. All are family within the wardstones that mark the boundaries of her realm and all are welcome, so long as they do not disrupt the peace of this place. Doing that risks finding oneself a rabbit for a week or two, wandering the hills of Elysium and wondering what happened. Liath's own home is a simple affair. It is a single hut with little in the way of adornments. Its basement contains a simple alchemical laboratory and its backyard contains a forge on which she cleanses evil blades that are brought to her by petitioners. When not occupied with her tasks as a god, she is frequently found working in either space, preferring that her hands never be idle. Planar Allies Liath, being a fledgling and new god, has yet to develop true planar allies. However, a following of Azata and Agathion outsiders has begun to grow around her in the midst of her work, and it is suspected that the most patient among them might one day rise to favor in her eyes. (All intellectual content of Pathfinder and Golarion are © Paizo Inc.) ( Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path © Paizo Inc.) ( Liath, as a character, is the creation of Latroma based upon RP sessions in the Wrath of the Righteous storyline.)